Four suspected Thai procurers and 25 women, most of them from Laos, were arrested during raids on brothels posing as karaoke bars in Chachoengsao province yesterday.
Chachoengsao police apprehended the 29 suspects at three brothels in Bang Khla and Plaeng Yao districts. Police went in posing as customers at four bars and found three fronting as brothels.
The four suspected procurers were identified as Mangkorn Yongying, 64, Somkid Kwaengphong, 45, Nopparat Thepphitak, 35, and Jeerasak Phuangsiri, 42.
They are Chachoengsao natives working as managers of the karaoke bars.
The 25 women — 20 from Laos, three Cambodians, one Myanmar and one Thai — were allegedly working as prostitutes at the bars.
Police confiscated more than 10,000 baht and guns from the bars.
They also collected used condoms from private rooms at the bars as evidence.
More than 20 plainclothes officers visited the bars early yesterday to lure the managers into offering to sell them sex.
Only three bars took the bait.
Mr Mangkorn and seven Lao women were arrested at Ton Koon Karaoke in tambon Samet Nua, while Mr Somkid and 13 Lao women were seized at Nokyung Karaoke in tambon Plaeng Yao.
The raid on Noree2 Karaoke in the same tambon led to the arrests of Ms Nopparat, Mr Jeerasak and the remaining five women.
At Nokyung Karaoke, police discovered six rooms 10 metres away from the back of the bar.
Police believe these rooms are where the women have sex with clients.
Mr Somkid claimed the rooms belong to a hotel next door, but police found nothing to suggest this was correct.
Police pressed charges against the four Thais for procuring prostitutes and violating the Entertainment Spot Act, while the 25 women face charges of offering illegal prostitution services.
All the arrested migrants gave false addresses to the Immigration Bureau, said Pol Maj Gen Theerapol Jindaluang, Chachoengsao Provincial Police commander.
All the migrants will be prosecuted and repatriated back to their home countries, Pol Maj Gen Theerapol said.